


All Your Life

by ellerkay



Category: Angel: the Series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, The Addams Family (1991)
Genre: Crossover, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-25
Updated: 2016-06-25
Packaged: 2018-07-18 02:17:24
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 3,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7295548
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ellerkay/pseuds/ellerkay
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>As a teenager, Wednesday Addams moves to Sunnydale and attends the high school, where she runs into an old enemy.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> This story was inspired by Mercedes McNab's excellent portrayal of Amanda Buckman in The Addams Family Values, and her later (also excellent) portrayal of Harmony Kendall, who strikes me as being quite a bit like an older Amanda. The Addamses seemed like they would fit so perfectly in the Buffyverse that I knew this had to be written.
> 
> Chapter 1 takes place during season 3 of BtVS.
> 
> Chapter 2 takes places several years later.

Giles, Buffy, Willow, and Xander looked up in surprise when a girl walked into the library. It was always a little strange to see people there besides themselves. And this particular person was a striking figure; thin and very pale, with long black hair in a braid down her back, and all black clothing.

“Can I help you?” Giles asked.

“Where is your occult section?” she asked, her voice a near monotone. The Scooby gang traded looks.

Giles directed her and she disappeared into the stacks.

“Was that a good idea?” Xander whispered. “She looked kind of...evil.”

“And vampy,” Buffy said. “Or maybe just like she spends too much time at Hot Topic.”

“She’s not a vampire,” Willow said. “She’s new. I have Latin with her. Her name is Wednesday, weirdly. Wednesday Addams.”

“I don’t think any of you are in a position to comment on unusual names,” Giles said drily.

“Hello? Can we get back to the ‘maybe vampire’ thing?” Xander said.

“She sat in a beam of sunlight in class,” Willow said. She looked a little embarrassed. “I wanted to make sure she wasn’t one, too.”

“What about the books?” Xander said. “She could be a witch. I think we’ve all learned a thing or two about the dangers of meddling with the dark arts.”

“There isn’t anything back there of any danger, Xander,” Giles said.

Several minutes later, Wednesday reappeared.

“Excuse me,” she said, sounding irritated. “I wanted to see the _occult_ section.”

“Couldn’t you find it?” Giles asked.

“I found a shelf full of Llewellyn books,” Wednesday replied. “There were several titled _Teen Spell Book_. I was told this library has one of the best occult collections on the western seaboard.”

“Who told you that?” Giles asked mildly.

“One of my ancestors,” Wednesday said. She glanced around and caught sight of the book cage, where Willow was scanning the titles. “Ah. That looks more like it.”

She started to move towards it. Giles stepped in front of her.

“I’m sorry,” he said firmly. “Those are from my private library. They aren’t for students to peruse.”

“She seems to be perusing them,” Wednesday said. In the cage, Willow hastily shut a book and put it back on the shelf.

“Ms. Rosenberg is doing a special project for me,” Giles said firmly.

Wednesday narrowed her eyes at him. “Hmm,” she said, and left the library without another word.

***

Fifteen minutes later, she was back, with Principal Snyder.

“Mr. Giles,” he said. “A word.”

Giles sighed and they walked off a little ways. Wednesday stood with her arms crossed, watching them and making no attempt to pretend she wasn’t eavesdropping.

“Ms. Addams tells me you won’t let her read the books,” Snyder said. “That seems like a remarkable failure in one of your very few job requirements as school librarian.”

“Those are not the school’s books,” Giles replied. “They’re mine.”

“Then what are they doing in the school?” Snyder asked. Giles opened his mouth but Snyder was still going. “Ms. Addams’ parents made a sizeable donation to this school, Mr. Giles. I would like her to remain happy here. I would like _you_ to contribute to that happiness, or I may find I am in need of someone to supervise detention every day for the rest of the school year. Do I make myself clear?”

Giles looked over at Wednesday, who raised an eyebrow. “Ms. Addams, you can look at the books, but you cannot take any home, and I will have to approve anything you copy out of them before you bring it with you. Are these acceptable terms?”

“Perfectly,” Wednesday replied. She went to the book cage and started studying the spines.

Snyder threw a look at Xander, Willow, and Buffy before turning to go. “Happy reading, Ms. Addams,” he said, in a gratingly obsequious tone.

“Mmm,” she said, not looking at him. He left the library.

Wednesday took a book off the shelf and opened it. “He’s an odious little man,” she said, flipping slowly through the pages. “I’m sorry I had to involve him. But there are things I need to know.” She looked up. “I’ll try to stay out of your way.”

She settled herself on a chair a ways away from the others, still within view.

“Do you think she _ever_ smiles?” Buffy whispered.

“No,” Wednesday said clearly. They all looked at her. “Well, not never. But trust me. You wouldn’t like it.”

***

“I realized something about our new friend,” Giles said the next morning. The Scooby gang had the library to themselves again.

“ _You_ people made a new friend?” Cordelia said. “That seems unlikely.”

Giles ignored her. “I knew her last name was familiar. Addams – they’re an ancient family, with centuries of ties to the magical community, and a bloody history.”

Buffy sat up straighter. “Should we be worried?”

“I’m not sure,” he replied. “The current generation seems mostly harmless, so far. But we should probably keep an eye on her.”

***

Wednesday was in the library most afternoons, turning the Scoobies’ meetings into a series of intense whispers, which they suspected she could hear anyway.

Their suspicions were confirmed when they were trying to figure out how to kill a Chaos demon.

“Yes, but _which_ purifying agent?” Giles demanded rather loudly of one of his books. “Why is that all any of you have to say?”

“I could just try one,” Buffy said.

“Yeah, but what if it’s the wrong one?” Willow asked worriedly. “We only get one shot at this.”

“It’s salt,” Wednesday said from her chair in the corner. They all jumped. She had become such a frequent and silent fixture that they’d practically forgotten she was there.

“Enough salt and they shrivel like slugs,” she continued. “Trust me, it’s the only way to get rid of them. My uncle dated one, when he and Dementia broke up for awhile.”

“I’m sorry – your uncle broke up with his mental condition?” Giles asked. 

“ _That’s_ the part that confuses you?” Xander said, staring at a picture of the slimy demon with huge antlers. 

“No. Dementia is his fiancée’s name. She’s great, but otherwise, he has awful taste in women.”

“So you…know about demons,” Buffy said.

Wednesday raised an eyebrow at her. “Of course.”

“Vampires?” Xander said.

“My godfather is a vampire.”

“Witches?” Willow said.

Wednesday looked at her. She held up an index finger, whispered a word, and it was suddenly alight. They all gaped at her as she blew it out, unharmed.

“Please,” she said. “Almost all the women in my family at least dabble. And some of the men.”

The Scoobies looked at each other. “So, vampire godfather,” Buffy said. “Aren’t vampires kind of – you know – evil?”

“Evil is a point of view,” Wednesday said. “And not all vampires are killers. What about that one who hangs around staring at you?”

“You know about Angel?” Buffy said, before she could stop herself.

“It’s not like he’s subtle about it.” Wednesday closed her book and rose, putting it on the table next to Giles. “My family doesn’t hurt anyone unless they attack us first.” She met Buffy’s eyes. “I’m sure the Slayer can appreciate the importance of a strong defense.” Buffy gaped. “How we choose to spend our time, and who we choose to spend it with, is our own business.” Wednesday glanced around at them. “Salt. Check _Tobin’s Spirit Guide_. It should confirm what I’ve said.”

She left the library. Everyone stared at each other for a moment.

“Well,” Xander said. “I guess we don’t have to whisper anymore.”

***

“Hello?”

Buffy, Willow, and Xander looked up to see Harmony Kendall enter the library.

“Mr., um, Librarian Guy?” Harmony said. She looked at the Scoobies. “Okay, don’t think that me talking to you means I like you, but is he here? I have to do a book report and somebody told me I should find something by some guy named Cliff Notes because they’re really easy…”

“He just stepped out,” Wednesday said from her usual chair.

Harmony looked over at her and her eyes grew wide. She gave a little scream and backed up until she was against the wall.

“No, no, no!” she whimpered. “It can’t be!”

“Hello, Amanda,” Wednesday said. There was just a trace of smile on her face. It was as unsettling as she’d promised.

“Wait, who’s Amanda?” Xander said.

“No, no,” Harmony moaned. She seemed to be frozen in terror. “We moved! We changed our names! How did you find us?”

Wednesday rolled her eyes. “We weren’t looking for you. My parents wanted my brothers and me to spend some time growing up on a Hellmouth.”

“Harmony, you know Wednesday?” Willow asked.

“ _Harmony_?” Wednesday said. “Please don’t tell me you named yourself after the Harmony Hut.” 

“I liked it there!” Harmony said. “I felt safe!” She pointed at Wednesday. “She tried to burn me at the stake!”

Wednesday waved dismissively. “I was pretty sure you’d live.”

“Uh.” Xander raised his hand. “Context? Anybody? Please?”

“Summer camp,” Wednesday and Harmony said together.

“It was the worst summer _ever_ ,” Harmony whined.

“Finally,” Wednesday said. “Something we agree on.”

“Gary and Becky were never the same after that, you know,” Harmony said.

“I’m glad to hear it.”

Harmony, suddenly seeming to regain control over her limbs, started backing away. “Stay away from me,” she said to Wednesday in a trembling voice.

“With pleasure,” Wednesday replied. Harmony turned and fled the library.

“It’s really hard to imagine you at a summer camp,” Buffy said to Wednesday.

“I fought them all summer, and let them think they’d broken me, and then I led a rebellion,” Wednesday said.

“Okay, that I can picture,” Buffy said.

“It couldn’t have been all bad,” Willow said. “I used to have fun at Camp Firewood.”

Wednesday gave her a look. “I think that hell is sharing a bunk with Amanda Buckman.”

“Living with Harmony?” Xander shuddered. “Yeah, hell sounds about right.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Three years later**

Wednesday was curled up in a chair in the corner of a loud living room, nose buried in a book of Edgar Allan Poe short stories. She was on "The Cask of Amontillado" – a comforting favorite – but despite her love of the story, she was having trouble concentrating. _Crowley’s left tit, I hate vampire parties,_ she thought.

But Pugsley was in Los Angeles, visiting her at college for the weekend (college was a small, secret, private academy of the black arts), and he wanted to do all the tourist things. Swim in the tar pits, go to the demon nightclubs (the memory of that karaoke bar would haunt Wednesday for years, she knew), and, of course, attend a vampire party. It was all painfully kitschy, but what could you do about little brothers? Pubert, at least, seemed so far like he was much more sensible. He was eight years old and his hobby was deadly poisons. Wednesday was proud of him, and these days, she only tried to kill him to keep him sharp. She’d moved beyond her petty childhood jealousy.

But Pugsley was Pugsley, and he was obviously enjoying himself at the party, so Wednesday was doing her best to ignore everything and get lost in her book. She’d just gotten to her favorite part when she heard a voice she never thought she’d hear again.

“Wednesday? Oh my god – I mean, Satan – what are you doing here?”

Wednesday looked up to see Amanda Buckman – damn it – Harmony Kendall walking towards her with an eager, friendly expression. That particular look on Harmony’s face was so unexpected it almost made Wednesday afraid.

“Harmony,” she said cautiously. Harmony plopped down in a free space on a couch right next to Wednesday’s chair.

“How are you? I haven’t seen you since graduation! How about that big snake, huh?”

“It was a much better ceremony than I could have hoped for,” Wednesday admitted. “Harmony, why are you talking to me?”

“We’re old friends!”

“No, we’re not.” Harmony wilted visibly, and Wednesday blinked at her, bewildered. “The last time we spoke, you told me to stay away from you.”

Harmony brightened. “Oh, that! That was the old me. I was human then. Now I’m a vampire! We’re so much alike, we’re practically sisters.” She beamed at Wednesday, who repressed a shudder.

“I’m not a vampire.”

Harmony waved dismissively. “I know, but you’re like, all weird and goth and stuff. Hey!” She grabbed Wednesday’s arm. “Maybe you can teach me!”

“Teach you _what_?”

“You know, how to be evil! I’m a creature of the night now.” Her eyes were full of hope. Wednesday gently pulled her arm from Harmony’s grasp, feeling a curious mixture of repulsion and sympathy.

“Harmony, how long have you been a vampire?”

Harmony shrugged. “You know, a little bit.” She paused. “I got turned at graduation, actually. And then I had this boyfriend for awhile – he was really hot but like, such an asshole, you know? So I had to dump him. And then I had my own minions, but the Slayer was a pain – oh, did you know Buffy’s the Slayer?”

“Yes,” Wednesday said. Everyone in the occult community knew who the Slayer was, even if she hadn’t been friendship-adjacent with the Slayer and her friends.

Harmony looked disappointed. “Oh. Well, anyway, she is so annoying. So I left Sunnydale and I was living with Cordelia for a bit and I was going to help fight evil, but well, I joined a cult and it didn’t go so well. So, here I am!”

Wednesday slow-blinked at her. Dear _Lucifer_ , was there any person less suited to being a vampire than Amanda Buckman? Entirely against her will, Wednesday was starting to feel a little sorry for her. This was just sad.

“Where are you living?” Wednesday heard herself ask, before she knew what she was doing.

Harmony shrugged. “Oh, you know. Motel rooms and stuff, when I can steal the cash.”

Which meant on the street – or more probably in the sewers, during daylight – when she couldn’t. Wednesday sighed deeply. She couldn’t believe she was about to say this. And she knew she was going to regret it, but…

“Why don’t you come stay with me for awhile?”

***

Wednesday stalked through her kitchen a few weeks later, shutting the freezer door in irritation. Harmony forgot to close it every time she got one of her cotton candy-flavored popsicles, which seemed to be every hour or so. Wednesday wanted to move just because those popsicles had been in the house.

Harmony was stretched out on the couch, idly playing with a popsicle stick, absorbed in _General Hospital_. Wednesday turned off the TV.

“Hey!” Harmony protested. “I was watching that!”

“I know. You’re never doing anything else. Harmony, we need to talk.”

Harmony looked worried, but affected nonchalance. “Sure. What’s up, roomie?”

Wednesday ground her teeth. “I found you a job.”

Harmony leapt up from the couch. “What? Really? Oh my god!” She threw her arms around Wednesday, who endured the embrace for a few seconds before pulling away.

“Wait, it’s not the graveyard shift at some grody convenience store, is it? Because I am _not_ working anywhere I have to wear a vest. Like, ew.” Harmony crossed her arms.

“No,” Wednesday said. “It’s at a law firm.”

“Um, hello? Vampire? I can’t work during the day!”

“I know that,” Wednesday said, with what she felt was the patience of a saint (a truly alarming virtue to discover in oneself). “It’s my parents’ lawyers. They work with supernatural creatures, so their offices are outfitted with spelled glass that keeps vampires safe from the sun. You’d be a secretary – ”

“I don’t know how!” Harmony said, looking panicked.

“They’ll train you,” Wednesday said. “My parents are very wealthy, so Wolfram & Hart is eager to do this favor for them. As long as you don’t mess up _too_ badly, you should be fine.”

“Wow, a secretary,” Harmony said. “I think I can picture that. There’ll be office gossip, and I’ll be all, ‘who are you calling to speak with?’, and ‘yes I can take a memo, Mr. Whoever’!”

“Or Ms.,” Wednesday added.

“Yeah, sure. This is so exciting!” Harmony squealed, stepping forward towards Wednesday with her arms outstretched. Wednesday stepped back quickly.

“Everyone gets one hug per lifetime,” she said. “You just used yours.” She pursed her lips. “There’s also the matter of where you’re going to live.”

“Oh….but I’m already settled in here!”

Wednesday looked around at the boxes and bags Harmony had brought with her. A few were open, some of their contents strewn about her living room.

“You’re going to be making money now. You can get your own place.”

“But this place is already perfect for a vampire,” Harmony said.

“Don’t tell me you want to live in a refinished catacomb when you could have a normal apartment,” Wednesday said. Harmony hesitated. “Anyway, Wolfram & Hart has an affiliated real estate agency. They’ll be able to find you a place you like.”

Harmony chewed her lip. “I don’t know,” she said. “This whole thing is starting to sound not so great.”

“What are you talking about?”

“I mean, if I’m working all day, when will I be able to pursue my evil vampire nature?”

“…At night? You’re undead. You don’t need much sleep, and nighttime is –”

“But I’ll be so tired! From the long day at the office!”

Wednesday sighed and sat down on the couch. “Harmony, do you really want to be evil?”

Harmony sat down next to her, looking lost. “Isn’t that what I’m supposed to do? I’m a vampire, I’m supposed to…kill people, and, I don’t know, be mean and stuff.”

“Do you actually like doing those things?”

Harmony thought about this. “I mean, I love drinking blood! Drinking blood is _awesome_. But cleaning up the bodies is hard. And yucky.”

“Well, then don’t do it. Wolfram & Hart will keep you in animal blood. Or human blood. They’ll take something out of your paycheck for it, but it’ll be easy. And convenient. As for…being mean to people…you’ve always been a mean girl, Aman- Harmony. Just bring it to the office like you brought it to high school. And summer camp.”

“But aren’t I supposed to take over the world? Or destroy it, or something? What if I’m not fulfilling my potential?”

Wednesday gazed at her levelly. “My godfather tangled with the Slayer last year. She killed him – twice. Do you really want that kind of trouble? The bigger you try to go, the more people will try to stop you.”

“I guess that’s true…Wait, how did she kill him _twice_?”

“Dracula has his ways,” Wednesday said. “He’s an Addams, after all.”

Harmony’s mouth hung open. “Your godfather is Dracula? Like, _the_ Dracula?”

“Yes.”

“Wow…can you get me an autograph?”

Wednesday sighed. “Will you take the job?”

Harmony hesitated. “I mean…yeah, I guess. It sounds pretty fun…”

“Good. And you’ll find another apartment.”

“Yeah…When will we see each other, though?”

Harmony’s eyes were round and beseeching. Wednesday groaned internally.

“We can have dinner once a month if you promise never to contact me outside of that time.”

Harmony grinned. “Yay! This is so great. I have a job! And even though we can’t be roommates anymore, we can still be best friends.”

She threw her arms around Wednesday again. Wednesday briefly considered immolating her for breaking the one-hug-per-lifetime rule, but instead she just let it happen. _But if she tries this again, I’m finishing what I started at Camp Chippewa,_ she promised herself.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 1) The title for this story is taken from one of my favorite Wednesday and Amanda moments, when they're meant to be practicing saving a drowning person's life. "I'll be the victim!" Amanda volunteers. "All your life," Wednesday replies. I liked the idea that in this reality, Wednesday and Amanda/Harmony's lives were somewhat bound together, that they were fated to meet repeatedly; perhaps in an 'opposites attract' kind of way. (And - lest I forget - they canonically met twice. McNab also played the Girl Scout in the first movie, so if we assume that was a younger Amanda...)
> 
> 2) My thanks to my friend G for suggesting the Poe short story that is Wednesday's "comforting favorite." And many thanks as well to Nevanna, for doing some beta reading on this for me.


End file.
